Planning is Overrated!

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I'm an IT Project Manager by profession, which means, I'm supposed to be an 'expert' at planning and details. They tell me at work I'm pretty good at it. Well, those of you who have traveled with me for any length of time know I really have no inherent talent for planning or attention to detail. In fact, I'm not even sure how I ended up in this career field as I certainly can't seem to apply these planning principles to my personal life!

I also have commitment issues. With just about everything. Including travel plans. I have a hard time committing to any one place ahead of time. So, combining my commitment issues with my inherent lack of planning details, when I finally make a decision to go somewhere, it is usually a quick glance through whatever travel guide I am carrying with me at the time to figure out how I am going to get there. Even then, I can sometimes get sidetracked. And occasionally, lack of attention to detail by not reading the fine print has presented a few logistical challenges. One time, I realized the plane I was on that I thought was going to Granada was actually going to Managua! I figured this out after watching the plane approach, fly over, and away from the city of Granada!

So, as I 'prepared' for my next 2 1/2 month trip, my response to the endless series of questions everyone asks me: Question one: "Are you ready for your trip?" My response: "Yes. I guess so." Question two: "Where are you going?" My response: "I have a one-way ticket to Quito!" (I am unable to commit to actually staying in Ecuador for the entire duration, and, I can't fully commit or plan to where I'll end up. So, a one-way ticket was the best I could do!) Question three: "What are you going to do?" For this trip, I'm stepping outside my box to do some 'planning'! My response: "I'm 'planning' to go to a Spanish Immersion School and do some volunteer work in the small Ecuadorian town of Cuenca for the first month!" I'm sure my friends have a betting pool going of how long I will actually be able to stay the entire first month!

I don't know if I will stay the entire month, something else may distract me and take me to another far away, exotic location. Who knows? Who cares? I'm just looking forward to the journey and hope to learn some Spanish, learn something new about myself, and figure out my passion and purpose in life in the process (is that asking too much?). And, maybe bring home a Peruvian Paso Fino or baby penguin?

One thing I do know for sure is I'll miss my dog and my friends. And, I'll probably get lonely at times. So, please keep in touch! I'm leaving Saturday, March 31st. I'll try and journal frequently to let you know where I am and what trouble I've managed to get into!

Stay tuned! My next entry will be from Ecuador!

LuAnne

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